County/Metro Athletic Conference co-leaders Bullard (9-2) and Memorial (9-2) will collide today at Memorial in an expected pitching duel matching the Knights' Blake Quinn and the Panthers' Lucas Diciccio. Memorial won 5-3 at Bullard in the first round, and it's there that they'll return Friday. They'll then close league play next week with the Knights playing a pair with Madera (8-3) and the Panthers playing twice with Edison.

Seeding for the Central Section playoffs will follow a week from Saturday.

Madera's Anthony Valle (6-2, 1.06 ERA) and Fresno's Devin White (8-2, 1.22) probably will fire today on the Warriors' diamond five weeks after Valle beat White 1-0 with a one-hitter in Madera. White countered with a two-hitter. An otherwise spectacular season by Fresno junior outfielder Anthony Hawkins found a speedbump (0-3, two strikeouts) that day against Valle. Hawkins is hitting .472 with nine doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 38 runs and 29 RBIs. The Warriors and Stallions will play again Friday in Madera.

Buchanan third baseman Jordan Luplow, a 2010 Bee All-Star, is scheduled to make his first appearance of the season this week in a pinch-hitting role, Bears coach Tom Donald said Friday night following a 5-4 win over Clovis. Luplow, who has signed with Fresno State, had surgery to repair a torn labrum in January. Buchanan (10-1), leading Clovis West (7-4) by three games in the Tri-River Athletic Conference with four games remaining, can clinch at least a tie for the league title with a win today at Clovis East. Clovis West will play at home tonight against Central.

Centennial probably will need to win the Southwest Yosemite League crown outright to prevent the TRAC from gobbling up the top three, if not four, Division I seeds. The Golden Hawks and D-II Frontier are tied for the SWYL lead with 10-1 records.

Hanford West senior right-hander Michael Hostetler hasn't walked a batter in 402/3 innings. He'll take a 3-1 record and 1.89 ERA into Friday's home game against West Yosemite League-leading Mt. Whitney. Hostetler also is leading the Huskies in hitting (.410).

Mt. Whitney went 0-5 against TRAC competition in the season-opening Coca-Cola Classic hosted by Clovis, and included were 2-1 and 7-6 losses to fellow Division II member Clovis North. But the Pioneers are 6-2 atop the WYL, leading El Diamante (5-3), Hanford (5-4) and Hanford West (5-4).